Finals: Akira Asahara vs. Hayashi Tanaka

Josh Bennett

The long weekend culminates in this. Asahara's blue-white deck against Tanaka's red-green monstrosity, with cash and glory on the line. Both players are surprisingly relaxed considering the stakes. Fatigue definitely plays a part in that. Both have little energy left to play up to the crowd. They need their best focused on the game at hand.

Asahara mulled over the situation. He decided to Sandskin the Condor and hit for two, before putting down Imagecrafter. He took five from the incoming Lorian and then watched as Tanaka played a post-combat Menacing Ogre. Tanaka won the bid three to zero. The life totals were fifteen to thirteen in favor of Asahara.

It wasn't looking good for him, though. He hit for another two and dropped a Dive Bomber. Tanaka tapped seven. Mythic Proportions for the Lorian. Asahara pretended like it wasn't the end, but it was.

Asahara 1 – Tanaka 1

Game 3

Now it was Tanaka's turn to mulligan. With Asahara leading off, it wasn't looking good for him. Asahara started with a morph. Tanaka played a very unthreatening Flamewave Invoker. Asahara showed him Ascending Aven. Tanaka hit for two and played Symbiotic Elf, apparently drawing from the less-than-insane side of his deck. Asahara hit for three in the air and made another morph.